Jun 17

Jun 17 Briskets, Noodles and Deep Fried Wonton in Guangzhou

In case you haven’t noticed, food is a really big deal in Guangzhou. I once witness my cousin and my uncle having a heated 15 minute discussion regarding whether one of the local institutions is best known for their beef briskets or their deep fried wonton. This place is Wu Cai Ji Mian Jia (吴财记面家). You can find this restaurant hidden away in a small alleyway off of Datong Road (大同路). To get there, you can take the metro to Huangsha Metro station (黄沙站) on line 1 and exit through Exit F to Datong Road. Once outside, Datong Road should be the nearest road to you, perpendicular to Liu'ersan Road (六二三路). Walk up Datong Road, away from Liu'ersan Road until you pass Tiyun Road (梯云东路). The restaurant should be in the next alley way on the right side of the street. Due to the hidden nature of the restaurant, there’s currently not on Google Maps. However, I was able to find another business that is right beside it to pin on the map below. Once you’ve reached the restaurant, you should place your order at the register and you’ll be given a number. You can take your number and find a spot there or you can go across to the other side of the alley way for their more “formal” sitting area inside an older house. You’ll find wooden tables and chairs, as well as old school decor. I highly recommend popping in just to get a feel of what older style houses in Guangzhou used to look like.

Main store front of the restaurant where you place your order.

The “well” inside the second seating area

Ground Pork Sauce on Egg Noodle/Zha Jiang Mian/炸酱面

Zha jiang mian is typically a combination of ground and cubed pork cooked in a slurry with spices, served on a bed of egg noodles. I normally prefer soup noodles but this is one of the exceptions. The slurry here is basically a thick meaty gravy with hints of 5 spices and heat. As a bonus, it comes with a small bowl of broth that’s used for wonton noodles.

Deep Fried Wonton/Zha Wuntun/炸馄饨

Normally, I go for the regular wonton. I like the soup and take comfort that I’m eating something relatively healthy. BUT…in this case, after hearing my family argue about the deep fried wonton and spurred on by the fact that every table had a plate of deep fried wonton, I ordered it. I had to wait 10 minutes for it (a long time for these neighbourhood joints) and did not disappoint. The deep fried wontons were fresh out of the fryer. The staff had to wait for it to cool long enough to serve it to customers and they were still piping hot when I bit into it. The super crunchy and savory wonton was balanced by the tangy and sweet dipping sauce.

Beef Brisket Noodle/Niú nǎn mian/牛腩面

I love Chinese beef briskets. I remember when I was little, my mom would take me to her favourite beef brisket noodle shop for lunch. It was the go to meeting spot for her and her friends. People in Guangzhou love a good beef brisket and will travel far and wide in search of the perfect brisket. Chinese beef briskets are cut into chunky cubes and braised in spices like star anise and peppercorn. The tender beef and some of that delicious braising sauce is ladled on to a bowl of noodles in wonton broth.